The name Gummersal was brought to England in the wave of migration that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Gummersal family lived in the place called Gomersal in Western Yorkshire, which derived its name from the Old English personal nameGudmoer and the Old English word halh. The name Gudmoer was composed of the elements gud, which means battle, and moer, which means fame. The word halh means nook or recess. This name was therefore formed under the Old English naming system, which gradually dissolved after the Norman Conquest. At this time, Old English names became less common and were replaced by popular continental European names. The surnames in England that were found shortly after the Norman Conquest were usually of Norman French rather than native English origins.

Gummersal Early Origins

The surname Gummersal was first found in Yorkshire in the West Riding where they held a family seat at Gomershale, [1]CITATION[CLOSE]Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8) later to become known as Gomersal. A knight's fee granted by William the Conqueror to Gilbert de Lacy was the first record of the place name from whom conjecturally the Gomersalls were descended. The grant of lands also included a mill and a manor at that time. Today Gomersal is a village in the metropolitan county of West Yorkshire and not that long ago was originally known as Great Gomersal and Little Gomersal.

Gummersal Spelling Variations

Gummersal Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Gomersal, Gomersall, Gommersal, Gommersall, Gomershall and many more.

Gummersal Early History

Gummersal Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gummersal research. Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gummersal History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gummersal Early Notables (pre 1700)

Gummersal Early Notables (pre 1700)

More information is included under the topic Early Gummersal Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

The Great Migration

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlanti c. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Gummersal or a variant listed above: William Gomersall arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1856.

Bede, The Venerable. Historia Ecclesiatica Gentis Anglorum (The Ecclesiastical History Of the English People). Available through Internet Medieval Sourcebook the Fordham University Centre for Medieval Studies. Print.

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The Gummersal Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Gummersal Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.